What about the phone-in option?
The phone-in option is a great choice for students who have glitchy, weak or no wifi at home. It needs to be stated that when they pick up their phone to call in, the number they call is in the USA. That means that long-distance charges will apply. However, calling in is not the first action presented when they click the link to use a phone for audio. The first option they are presented with is to have Google Meet call them. That makes the call free.
The window below is for having Google Meet place the call. The student enters their phone number and the meeting software will call them to bring them in. There are no long-distance charges for this.
Above is the screen that one utilizes if they are going to place the call. Please note that Canada is not one of the options, and should a student or parent select this choice, it is no different than placing any other call to the USA. If they have a phone plan that allows for calling to the USA, there will not be a problem. If they do not have such a plan, the charges to their next phone bill will be in line with their phone package.